Steady Steps to the UN? Or Steady Steps to the Cold War?

Wartime and postwar conferences

Atlantic/ Newfoundland ConferenceAugust 9-12, 1941

US Aims:• Gain American support to back

British (failed)• Assure that there were no

secret agreements (eg: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and Poland)

• Arrange repayment of Lend Lease Act – lower GB tariffs against the US

Atlantic/ Newfoundland ConferenceAugust 9-12, 1941

GB Aims:

• US backing of Allies would deter Japan from attacking

Tehran ConferenceNovember 28-December 1 1943

• Establish an “enduring peace”

• First meeting between Stalin and Allies

• Discuss division of defeated Germany

Yalta Conference February 1945

Yalta Conference February 1945

• British and US try to limit Russian post-war influence in the Crimea

• Roosevelt wants Russia to help in the Pacific theatre

• Discuss division of a defeated Germany

• Russia wants a communist Poland (protection)

Potsdam ConferenceJuly 1945

• Churchill didn’t really want Stalin to help in the Pacific Theatre so Russia wouldn’t have too much influence in the Far East

• America had successfully tested an atomic bomb and Truman would let Stalin know about a new bomb and Stalin had little reaction

• Stalin’s objective to obtain economic help from war losses – reparations• US and GB no longer needed Russia’s support against Japan

Primary Evidence

Atlantic/ Newfoundland ConferenceAugust 9-12, 1941

Outcomes• Met aboard the USS Augusta to discuss war

strategy/ plans• Outline postwar strategy:

– Would not seek territorial expansion– Liberalization of international trade– Freedom of the seas– International labour, economic, and welfare

standards– Restoration of self-governments for all

countries that had been occupied during the war and allowing all peoples to choose their own form of government

• US is still “neutral”• Creation of the Atlantic Charter

Atlantic/ Newfoundland ConferenceAugust 9-12, 1941

Significance:1. Publicly affirmed solidarity between

U.S. and Great Britain against Axis2. Laid out President Roosevelt’s

Wilsonian-vision for the postwar world (self-determination, collective security, open seas, etc)

3. Inspiration for colonial subjects throughout the Third World to fight for independence.

Tehran ConferenceNovember 28-December 1 1943

Outcomes• Western Allies assured Stalin they would invade France• Operation Overlord set for May 1944 - later delayed

until June• Russia to help fight Japan after Germany was defeated

Tehran ConferenceNovember 28-December 1 1943

Significance:• "We came here with hope and determination. We leave here,

friends in fact, in spirit and in purpose." • Form a UN• Overlord alleviates pressure on Russia• Commission to work out the division of Germany

Yalta Conference February 1945

Outcomes

• Countries in the Crimea and Poland guaranteed free elections

• Creation of UN confirmed (Charter)

• Reparations

• War Crimes

• Soviet control of lands taken by Japan

Yalta Conference February 1945

Significance

• Race to claim Germany – Russia wins

• Russia regains lands in the east

• Russian liberated territories gain free vote

• French to get a portion of the US/ GB zone of Germany

Potsdam ConferenceJuly 1945

Outcomes:• German military prohibited and prevented• Germany to be administered as single economic unit by Allied Control Council • Stalin allowed to take 25% of West German industry in exchange for food, coal • Nazi leaders to be tried as war criminals at Nuremberg• Korea to be divided • etc

Potsdam ConferenceJuly 1945

Significance:• Ultimatum to Japan to surrender• Stalin doesn’t hold to his promise to allow free

votes in eastern Europe• Germany divided

Division of Germany

Russia enters Berlin first so they get a larger portion of Berlin and the area of Germany around it